Arizona Basketball: Sean Miller Catches Everyone up to Speed

The Wildcats have a lot going on leading up to the 2016-2017 season. Sean Miller discussed the incoming recruits, summer plans, scheduling, and the Pac-12 ruling on court/field storming Wednesday afternoon.

Since the 2015-2016 season ended, the Arizona coaching staff has been working overtime. They’ve finished up the recruiting class, began recruiting for the next couple of years, and have planned out the Summer activities.

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To start his press conference, Sean Miller congratulated Arizona softball coach, Coach Candrea, on their win in Tennessee, and wished him luck in the super regional.

From there, Miller went right into discussing what all has been going on the past couple of months. And if you have listened to Miller discuss his players and their future, he always talks about their education. There might not be a coach out there who wants to drill education into their players’ mind.

Miller and his staff had the pleasure of graduating five seniors. “The statistic I’m most proud of in my time is that every senior I’ve coached has graduated. That’s something we take a lot of pride in” said Miller.

To start things off for his preview and expectations for next year, Miller spoke openly and honestly about his returning sophomore, Allonzo Trier.

Next: Allonzo Trier

Allonzo ‘Zo’ Trier

The primary purpose of this press conference was to discuss the players. Who is coming, who left, what everyone’s summer plans are, and how this team will be formed. Immediately Miller wanted to speak on Allonzo Trier. As we all know, he surprised a lot of us and returned for his sophomore season, even though he had an excellent shot at being drafted late in the first round.

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“They (Trier and his family) made a very mature, wise decision, in my opinion. A lot of guys like Allonzo, with his pedigree, like to prove the world wrong. If predictors have them not being a first round pick, as you know the NBA is not the right venue to try to prove that. Those days are over. When you leave school you want to make sure you have insurance: either a college degree or the opportunity to, through the right resources, be a first round pick or a draft pick.”

Miller proceeded to talk about how excited he is about having Trier return. He even went as far to say that he’s as excited about Trier coming back as any member of the team. “If he didn’t miss the seven games that he missed in the Pac-12, I’m not so sure that looking at his freshman year that it wouldn’t have gone down as one of the best statistical freshman years at Arizona.”

Next: Ray Smith

Ray Smith

Another player Miller is very excited about returning is Ray Smith. He is technically returning since he was on the team last year, but with tearing his ACL and sitting out, this upcoming season is as if he’s a new freshman. But even as a redshirt freshman, Miller full on expects Smith, along with Trier, to be the two most important leaders in the locker room.

The expectations are high for Smith, even though he’s never played a game for Arizona. It was discussed many times among Wildcat fans how this team would have looked had Smith not get injured. To close any questions about whether or not he would have had an impact, Miller made sure to let the media know Smith would have been the starting Small Forward.

When discussing Smith’s recovery over the last year, Miller said, “He’s doing everything he’s supposed to do to be successful. If you talk to Chris Rounds (team’s strength and conditioning coach), he’ll say Ray Smith’s legs are probably the strongest he’s ever seen.”

Arizona fans should be very excited to see Smith on the court this season. He will be an impact player from the start.

Next: Chance Comanche

Chance ‘Chief’ Comanche

Chance Comanche, who came on strong late, had some wonderful things said about him by Miller as well. “One thing I want to talk about; Chance Comanche is important to us moving forward. He’s here and has a big summer for him.” Miller spoke about how when Chance first arrived, he weighed around 190 lbs. Right now he has grown to be 215, and Miller thinks he’ll move into the 220’s this Summer.

We all saw Chance grow right before our eyes. He was outrunning guards down the floor, covering multiple positions, and playing strong in difficult times. His dunks, blocks, and quit feet were evident against Utah and Oregon. Chance’s potential is endless. We have yet to see how good he can be. Aside from seeing Ray Smith for the first time, seeing the growth in Chance is at the top of my anticipation.

Next: Incoming Freshmen

Incoming Freshmen

With Terrance Ferguson, the question has been whether or not he officially signed. When asked about the LOI, Miller didn’t want to get into anything about how these were done but did let us know that by talking about him, he signed something.

Ferguson and Miller have a history together, with the U18 USA team, which explains why he’s excited to have him on campus. “Terrance is as good as defensive play as I’ve seen at his age. Regarding his ability to shoot the basketball coupled with his ability to defend, he’s almost like an upperclassman in those two areas of his game.”

Miller and his staff will have to wait for a couple of months before getting Terrance in Tucson. This is due to Ferguson having been named as one of the participants in the 2016 USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team training camp. Ferguson will be going for his fourth gold medal!

Kobi Simmons will be on campus soon, and Miller can’t wait. He compared Kobi to Russell Westbrook, with his explosion, talent, and ability to score. “There’s no denying his talent level, and he’ll be here in a couple of weeks.” With Kobi’s size 6’5″, he has the capability to play multiple positions, which is a trend with this team.

Miller mentioned he could see Kobi and Parker sharing the backcourt together at the same time. The coaching staff is raving about what type of player Kobi can be for this team. With the potential for small-ball, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him move to the 3.

Rawle Alkins is, in Miller’s words, “New York City through and through.”  What he meant by this is those coming from NYC had to compete and earn everything. Alkins is a big kid, tough, very physical, and truly believes in himself. “I love his fight and his will. This is something that our team needs that we missed a year ago.”

I think that statement is critical, and one to remember. My biggest critique of the team last year was that there were little fire and energy. When we lost Aaron, Rondae, and Stanley, this team lost all of their grit and intense personalities. If Rawle can embellish that role, and light a fire in the group, expect to see a high octane team.

Lauri Markannen is already in Tucson, participating in the pre-session. However, he will be heading back to Europe for the majority of the Summer. Miller informed us that Lauri has the opportunity to play for his age group and a training camp for his senior national team. But Miller is very excited about his potential. He referenced his size (6’11” 225 lbs 5% body fat), and his amazing shot. Miller expects him to be an impact player this year.

Lauri is the biggest question mark out of the four incoming freshmen. Miller and his staff light up when talking about Lauri. It’s not every day you get a 6’11’ athlete who can stretch the floor, shoot, and run. Miller is going to throw out both Lauri and Chance together, just watch.

Next: Incoming Transfers

Keanu Pinder is a player fans probably have the most questions about. He’s a former Nebraska commit who went the JUCO route at Hutchinson, same college Kadeem Allen graduated from.

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Miller was raving about Pinder. Miller believes Pinder has a high skill level and a very good understanding of how to play. “He’s a very versatile forward. He gives the team an ingredient they didn’t have, in that we have a flexible defender, mobile forward, and someone who rebounds the ball very well.” Miller also expects Pinder to come in and compete right away.

Talbott Denny, the hometown kid, will be joining the Summer workouts. He had season-ending shoulder surgery this past year and has almost made a full recovery. Miller spoke about his experience, leadership, unselfish nature, and how he is a great competitor.

Dylan Smith is the final piece and another transfer. The biggest thing Miller said about Smith was, “Don’t be fooled by him coming from UNC-Asheville. He played Villanova very tough.” Miller cited his size, 6’6″, and ability to shoot long distance (made over 80 three’s). He’ll have to sit out a year, but Miller is very comfortable with Dylan Smith that he’ll be a special player.

Next: Final Thoughts

Aside from discussing all of the incoming players, and those returning, Miller touch based on the style of play to expect, and adjustments they’ll be making to cater to the strengths of this team.

“None of these guys are relegated to playing just one position, aside from Parker Jackson-Cartwright. We have to be able to have four perimeter players and one big on the court, and no bigs with two forwards and three perimeter players. It all comes down to who is ready, and who performs the best.” – Miller

Specifically, Miller pointed out the three high-profile guards of Kobi Simmons, Rawle Alkins, and Terrance Ferguson. They are the three perimeter players the coaches expect the most out of for this team.

With so much talent, the question on our minds is how will Miller work them all in? Miller hinted that we should expect to see a different flow from previous years. “We’re always on a quest to be better than we were. But having the ability to play a style, and a system, that puts our best team on the court, our best guys, and allows these guys to grow. We’re really on that path to doing so.”

When Miller was asked about the excitement heading into this season compared to earlier years, and the excitement with such a new crew, Miller responded by acknowledging this year being a major change.

“This year does mark a wholesale change. There is an excitement, and with that, some anxiousness. Guys like Allonzo Trier, Dusan, Ray Smith, how they embrace these players, the chemistry, will set the tone for this group moving forward. Some of the teams who will end up in Phoenix in the Final Four are at the same stage, considering who they’ve lost and who’s coming in. This is a big 4-5 months for that group (Chance, Dusan, Keanu, Lauri, Ray).”

The one subject Miller brought up before anyone could ask was the non-conference schedule. This has been a topic discussed a lot lately, and there is a lot of negative feelings from the fans and media. Miller was hoping to answer all the questions and give an in-depth insight into what the process is like.

“There isn’t a coaching staff in the country who works more on the non-conference schedule than us. That does not fall on deaf ears. Looking at our home schedule, I know it’s not attractive. The top flight of college basketball is playing less home and away games, but more neutral sites. I wish we could stay with the same model we’ve had. You get more value than playing at home, but not as much as playing a true away game. We’re judged in March on how we play on a neutral court, so let’s get used to that feeling.”

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Miller and his staff have a lot of youth, but they are confident, mature, and ready to work. I believe we’ll see a new style of offense, aside from the small-ball lineup they could use on any given night. But the difference this year compared to last is they have the ability to adapt to their opponent, example Oregon. This could be the most excited I’ve been about a season in a long time. Bear Down!

NOTES

• Miller was asked to speak on Elliott Pitts: “Nobody wishes him well more than me. I can’t comment on anything else. He finished his academic year, and left in good academic standing, and I wish him well.”
• Miller was asked about the court/field storming ruling: “I think it’s a really smart decision for the Pac-12 conference as a whole. It’s not just the ‘Sean Miller Rule.’ It protects the student-athlete, and that’s what this is all about. I think it’s very fair and very smart, showing a great level of cooperation. Smart move for years to come.”
• Miller was asked about the conference as a whole: “They (Oregon) have a chance, and the makings, of an equally good team to last year with who they have coming back. I’m anxious to see the NBA draft. I can’t imagine another conference have any more top picks than our conference. And with who’s returning, I bet we’ll see 7 or more in the tournament again, and have better results.”
• Miller was asked to elaborate on non-conference opponents: “Our overall non-conference schedule will be as challenging as any team in the nation. We play Michigan State, we’re finishing up a deal playing Texas A&M in Houston this year, we play Gonzaga, and Grand Canyon — and Dan Majerle has done a phenomenal job, and they will be a tough opponent. We are in talks finishing up a series with UCONN and one with Baylor.”